Deandre Ayton Trade Rumors: Mavs, Suns Held 'Advanced' Talks on 2023 NBA Draft Night

In their effort to build a contending team around Luka Dončić, the Dallas Mavericks made an attempt to acquire Deandre Ayton on the night of the 2023 NBA draft.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavs and Phoenix Suns had "advanced discussions" about a trade involving Ayton that would have sent Tim Hardaway Jr., Richaun Holmes and JaVale McGee back to Phoenix.

According to Stein, talks "stalled" because the Suns didn't want McGee to be included in the deal.

The Mavs' top priority this offseason seems to be re-signing Kyrie Irving, but the end of last season showed they still need more talent around the duo of Irving and Dončić if they want to be a playoff contender in the Western Conference.

Christian Wood, who is set to become a free agent, was the Mavericks' primary center last season. He had a solid offensive showing with 16.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with a 51.5 field-goal percentage, but he's a limited defensive player at a position where opposing teams can expose that weakness.

McGee has a $5.7 million salary next season and a $6 million player option for 2024-25. The 35-year-old averaged 4.4 points per game in 42 appearances last season.

The state of Phoenix's roster has been a source of debate since the team was ousted in the second round of the playoffs. Monty Williams was fired as head coach, with Frank Vogel hired as his replacement on June 6.

Chris Paul was traded to the Washington Wizards in a package that brought Bradley Beal back to Phoenix. (Paul will be sent from the Wizards to the Golden State Warriors in a separate deal, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.)

While the addition of Beal does give the Suns a proven third option to play alongside Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, they're roster is still very thin after that top trio.

Ayton is the one big trade chip Phoenix has left to use to fill out its depth. He's under contract for three more seasons with a salary of $32.5 million in 2023-24.

B/R's Chris Haynes reported Sunday the Suns intend to move forward with keeping Ayton to play with Booker, Durant and Beal.

Even though he is a flawed player, Ayton is the type of talent that some teams could find enticing if he gets made available in a trade. He's only 24 years old and has averaged a double-double in each of his first five NBA seasons.